


A light in the Darkness

by nimara



Category: & Juliet - Martin/West Read, The Darkest Minds (2018), The Darkest Minds Series - Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Beating, Child Abuse, Dark dark shit, Darkest Minds AU, Drama, F/M, Forced Abortion, Green!Will, Guard!Kit, I don't know, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Orange!Anne, Right now it's just darkness and sorrow, Romance, Teen Pregnancy, This is really dark, Violence, William would be proud, english is not my first language so please excuse the many mistakes in this, like really really dark, this mainly drama but maybe there's going to be a little bit of fluff later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-02-22 21:23:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23600611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nimara/pseuds/nimara
Summary: In a world where 98% of the kids aged between 8 and 14 die because of a mysterious disease, Anne Hathaway is thirteen when she gets sick. She's one of the unlucky one. She doesn't die but survives and like every other survivor she develops supernatural abilities. She is a freak. Like the other, she is sent to a "rehabilitation" camp. She promised to herself that she will never get close to anyone because getting close to someone only ends up in pain. But of course, she had never expected to meet William Shakespeare and have him turn her life upside down.
Relationships: Anne Hathaway Shakespeare/William Shakespeare
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1 : Freaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her parents had always treated her as freak. After getting sick, Anne is now really one. But she is one that has to hide to survive. In a camp, surrounded by people who are not like her she had to blend in. But thankfully, she meets a boy who is going to help her survive this terrible experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW : child abuse  
> So this is the first chapter of my longest work yet. This whole thing is above 12k and I'm not even fully don yet. The chapters should be posted with a few day between them.  
> This story is very dark so please be aware.  
> This chapter is... not the best. It feels a bit rush but I had to set the scene for people who are not familiar with The Darkest Minds universe.  
> Anyway enjoy!

** Chapter 1: Freaks **

The world was going to shit. For almost five years now, a disease beautifully baptised Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration, or IAAN for short, had killed about 98% of the population aged between 8 and 14. The disease was feared by the entire world. But not because of its deadliness. The kids who died were buried, cremated, missed but that was it. No, what the adults and the government feared was the kids who survived the disease. The freaks. But, over the past few months, there had been a severe drop in the number of cases and most of the scientists actually believed that maybe no more kids would die. That’s why no one expected the seconds wave of death. And of freaks.

For Anne, it all started when she was 13. She hung her head low as she made her way back home. She wasn’t allowed to have friends and it wasn’t like anyone had ever try to talk to her. The redhead felt the familiar feeling of dread as she closed the front door behind her.

“Look who’s finally home.” The sarcasm dripped from her father’s voice and Anne shuddered.

She knew the beating was coming and yet she couldn’t help but yelp as the first hit landed across her cheek. She knew there was nothing she could do but take the hits and wait. It seemed to go on for hours before finally,

“Go to your room.”

Anne didn’t say anything. It would only make it worse if she did. She dragged herself to her room and collapsed on the bed, silent tears dripping down her cheeks. She could hear the sound of the TV faintly coming from the living room.

“IAAN…. Deaths toll rising… new cases.”

Anne frowned. They were talking about IAAN again. It seemed to be the only thing on the news since the first outbreak five years ago. Anne sighed, only kids under 14 had been targeted by this strange virus. In six months, Anne would be safe. Safe from the virus, yes, but not from her parents. And of course, life never worked out that way. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, unaware of the disease lurking in the shadows.

When she woke up, Anne felt weird. She didn’t even have the strength to get up. Not that it mattered since it was the weekend and her parents wouldn’t even notice that she hadn’t come out of her room. She didn’t have a fever but something was wrong. Her head hurt. She felt as if her brain was burning little by little.

The second day it got worse. She couldn’t even speak because of the pain. It was as if someone was hammering nail inside her head. The permanent ringing in her ears made it hard to stay focus. Her parents never came up to her room even after she called for help,

“Mum… Dad? Help…” It seemed as these few words took all of her strength and she passed out.

On the third day, Anne knew she didn’t want to die. Sure, her life was shit but she didn’t want to die. The pain became so overwhelming that Anne was sure that her heart would give out. But then, in less than a second, everything was gone. She felt completely fine. She blinked a few times and wiggled her fingers and toes. She was still alive. There was still a strange sensation at the back of her head but she wasn’t in pain anymore.

Her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten in days and decided to go grab something to eat. She tiptoed to the kitchen. Her parents would never allow her to go get food by herself. But they were watching TV and as Anne grabbed some leftovers, she heard the news.

“Five years after the first wave of IAAN, it seems that the disease once again went into action. Countries have reported the deaths of millions of kids aged between 8 and 14. The death toll in the UK is almost at 90 percent of the children population after only three days since the first case was reported.”

Anne froze. She had started getting sick three days ago. Could it be…

“As before, the survivors of the disease started to present supernatural abilities. We remind you that five categories exist to classify the abilities of the survivors, Green for basic enhanced intelligence, Blue for telekinesis abilities, Yellow for electric control, Red for Pyrokinesis and finally Orange for mind control. We would like to remind you that if your kid starts presenting any of these abilities you have to call the Psi Forces. They will collect your child and bring them in rehabilitation camps where it will be safe for them and for you. If your child start presenting Yellow, Red or Orange abilities it is dangerous to approach them so call the forces immediately.”

Anne felt sick again. She had been ill for three days. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Yet she hoped it was. It had to be. She immediately climbed back to her room, leftovers forgotten on the table, and locked the door with shaking hands. She didn’t know how she knew. But she did. The teenage girl slid down against the wall, breathing heavily. Anne buried her hand in her hands. She knew that the pressure at the back of her head wasn’t going to go away. Her parents had always called her a freak and now she really was one. She chocked back a sob. What was she going to do? She had no friends. No one would have helped her before so now that she was a freak… No one would help a freak, especially not one of her kind.

****************

Anne had fallen asleep on the floor. She woke up when people barged into her room. She thought she was still dreaming when she recognized the Psi forces’ uniforms. Why would government agents be on her bedroom? But rough gloved hands grabbed her and yanked her off of the floor, dragging her toward the main entrance. Anne started shaking. This was real, it was really happening. She knew that it would have happened eventually but not so fast. She could hear her father talking to one of the soldiers.

“She was sick four days ago. I’m sure she is one of the freaks now. And we want to have nothing to do with her. She was already a hard kid to tame so I wouldn’t even imagine now that she may have powers.”

“Don’t worry Sir, we’re taking care of her from now on.”

She knew it was vain but she couldn’t help it,

“Dad! Please don’t let them take me! Dad!”

But soon she was out of the house and out of her parents’ sight. Anne felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She was going to end up with a bullet in the head when they would find out. She wanted to scream and to run. But to go where? She had nowhere where she would be safe. So, she didn’t look back. She was dragged along their driveway and roughly pushed inside the back of a van. The doors closed and they slowly drove away from everything she knew. Anne was finally free of her parents, only to be made a prisoner all over again.

****************

“What’s your name?”

Anne had been brought up to what she guessed was a former warehouse. Hundreds of kids were packed in it, as they waited their turn with “the doctors”. The man in front of Anne didn’t seem so bad. He was old and his lab coat had a slight yellow tinge, indicating it had been used for many years.

“Hello? What’s your name?”

He started to sound impatient so Anne finally decided to answer,

“Anne. Anne Hathaway.”

The doctor looked back at his paperclip and went on with the questions,

“Date of birth?”

“July 30th 2052.”

“Did you observe anything strange happening to you.”

Anne hesitated. She knew. She knew what she was. But she couldn’t tell him. Even if they still went on with the “Camps are here to cure your children.” bullshit propaganda, Anne knew that it wasn’t what was happening. She knew that those camps were hell. She also knew that the ones like her went to the extermination camps. If they were lucky enough, they were executed before they even got off the buses. She answered in a small voice,

“I uh… I was sick. About four days ago.”

The doctor only hummed before he took out a small device out from underneath the desk. Anne’s eyes widened slightly, quickly realizing that it was a scanner. He was going to find out. She felt the pressure starting to build at the back of her head.

“This is a device that will help me to see the zones in your brain that were affected by the disease. It will help me know if you need to be cured and how we will cure you.”

Anne couldn’t breathe. Run. She had to run. But she couldn’t. She was rooted into her chair, petrified, unable to move. The doctor raised the machine toward her head. The bid seemed to echo around the busy warehouse. Anne saw the results before he did. The words “Orange -DANGER” flashed on the screen. She saw the realisation hit the doctor and that’s when her body finally allowed her to move. She quickly grabbed the doctor’s hand that was still on the desk and the pressure at the back of her head disappeared. The eyes of the man suddenly became unfocused, looking at a point above her head.

“I am,” Anne gulped, “I am a Green. I am a Green.”

The doctor’s hand got away from hers and raised toward the scan. She saw as he entered the results manually into the computer: “Green”.

Anne let out a sigh of relief but she couldn’t stop shaking. She really was a monster. It had been one of the worst sensations in her life, feeling the man’s will becoming hers. It made her feel powerful. And that’s exactly what scared her. Anne realized how easy it was to bend the others to her will. No one should ever have so much power. She vowed here and then to never use her ability ever again. She could get close to no one and she would never speak to someone ever again. She was too dangerous.

The doctor eyes focused again. He shook his head slightly and went on as if nothing had happened.

“Okay young lady. You are all set. You can go sit back with the others.”

Anne got up on shaky legs and all but collapsed next to the other kids. She was a Green. Maybe if she kept telling herself that, it would become a reality.

*****************

They were given the uniforms a few hours later. A guard threw a green one-piece suit at her face and barked at her to put it on fast. Anne quickly did as she was told. The uniform was made of thin fabric and it wasn’t made to be worn in January at all. She naively expected the guards to give them coats. But of course, they didn’t.

Once she was fully clothed, Anne looked around her. Many of the kids had been given a green uniforms. She spotted a good number of Blues, some Yellows, a small number of Reds, and five Oranges. She watched them as they put on the orange clothes. Did they even know what was going to happen to them? One of the kids was probably only 8 and he wouldn’t even live to see the end of the week. Anne felt sick. Both because of the guilt she felt for not being one of the kids in the orange uniforms and because of the relief that she was wearing a green uniform instead. She was sure that she wasn’t the only Orange who had managed to escape the scan test. But now she was a green and she had to play the part perfectly.

They took the Oranges to the bus first. They had tied their arms behind their backs and put some kind of muzzle on them. The young boy was crying and as she watched them go Anne cried too. The Reds were next, hand tied behind their backs and fireproof gloves firmly pushed on their hands. Then the Yellows, hands covered by plastic gloves and also tied behind their backs. The Blues were the first to be able to board with absolutely no restrains.

“Okay Greens! Let’s go! Stay silent! No talking unless you’re authorised to! If you do you will suffer the consequences!”

They didn’t play the “nice guards here to help kids” part anymore. They were soldiers barking order at prisoners. There was a lot of Greens so they were moved by little groups until all the buses were filled. It took eight school buses the get them all out of the warehouse. Anne was roughly pushed into a seat near the window as they packed the usual two people seats with four or five kids.

The boy that was pushed and squished against Anne was incredibly tall. Sure, she was pretty small for her age but the boy was probably a full foot taller than her. He was even taller than some of the guards. Anne turned her head up slightly to look at him. He was around her age. He had dark brown hair and eyes. He must have felt her watching him because he looked down at her. She had promised herself to never get close to anyone from now on. Because the closer she got to someone, the closer they were to find out the truth. But as the boy smiled at her, Anne couldn’t help but smile back. The warmth of his leg against hers was pretty comforting. No! She needed to focus. They were going to a camp, probably spend the rest of their life there. It wasn’t the moment to make friends.

The bus started to move and Anne turned her gaze away from the boy to look through the window. She felt his hand brushed against hers. It was dangerous. But she couldn’t help the warmth that spread through her body at the touch. Even if she knew nothing about him, for the first time in her life, Anne didn’t feel alone. This boy was here and she wasn’t alone. Maybe in all this bullshit catastrophe, she wouldn’t have to be alone ever again.


	2. Chapter 2 : Welcome to Tiddington

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years in the camps and Anne starts to know the boy from the bus, Will, pretty well. The've grown and their feeling too. Unfortunately being stuck in a camp is definitely not a great set up for romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2!  
> Things go from fluff to dark real fast.   
> !!TW : RAPE!!

** Chapter 2 : Welcome to Tiddington **

The camp was terrifying. There was almost no vegetation. A tall warehouse seemed like the only durable building in sight. The guards roughly grab them by the collar of their uniform, and they were all but thrown out of the buses. As Anne stumbled in the mud, she noticed that only five of the eight buses had stopped to this camp. She watched as the other three continued their journey to probably, a camp further away.

“Get in line! Quick!”

The kids bumped in each other as they what they were told. One of the older kids thought it was a good idea to ask a question. His small voice seemed to resonate in the small square where they were all packed.

“Where are we?! You can’t just…”

A collective gasp erupted from the group as a guard used the handle of his gun to knock the kid out. Some of the kids started crying and Anne started shaking. There was a warm presence close to her, the boy from the bus. He brushed his hand against her in what she guessed was meant to be a comforting gesture. And it was.

“Silence! You’re not allowed to speak! Now get a move on!”

They all walked in silence as they passed the cabins. Most of them were already full and Anne was surprised to see that some of the kids weren’t kids anymore. Some of them were probably close to their twenties and they looked like they had lost all will to live. It was terrifying, the idea that maybe they would have to stay here for the rest of their lives.

Finally, they arrived at a round of empty cabins. Each time they made ten boys and ten girls enter them, according to their age. Anne was right to think that the boy from the bus was close to her age because he was put in her group. They were assigned to cabin 227. The cabin was separated in the middle by white curtains.

“Okay! Girls at the back, behind the curtain and boy on this side. I will give you the rules of the camp once everyone is seated on their bed. So, get a move on!”

Anne was the last to enter the “girl side” of the cabin. She got settled on the last bed available, the lower bunk bed the closest to the curtain. After only two minutes, everyone was settled on their respective bed.

Anne jumped as the guard yanked back the curtains so the cabin was no longer separated and everyone could see him. She looked quickly to her left and saw that the boy who was next to her in the bus was occupying the lower bunk bed right on the other side. She somehow felt safe at the idea that they were just separated by a piece of fabric. The guard started to bark the set of rules,

“Listen freaks. Welcome to Tiddington camp! The rules are simple. You are allowed to talk only if you were given the explicit order to do so, or during the one hour before curfew where you will be allowed to talk to each other. You are not allowed to use you freak abilities. If you do there will be consequences. And believe me we will know if you do.

“You will all work in the warehouse from 7am to 7pm each day with a twenty-minute lunch break. Light on at 5:45 and lights out at 8:30. Dinner is served in the mess hall at 7:30. Once you are back in your cabin you are allowed to talk to each other until lights out.

“You are always accompanied for any movement by guards. Every movement we’ll be done in orderly fashion. You line up and walk in silence that’s all.

“Even if we decided to put both boys and girls inside the same cabins, the only ones allowed to move this curtain are the guards. The only moment when boys and girls are allowed to talk to each other is during the one free hour before lights out. And of course, any romantic relationship of any kind is strictly prohibited. A guard will always be inside the cabin during the night to make sure everything goes according to the rules.

“Since you arrived too late for dinner you will have to wait tomorrow’s lunch break to eat. Lights out in thirty minutes. In the mean time you are allowed to talk to each other.”

The guard yanked the curtain back in its original place, leaving only a foot wide opening so boys and girls could go on the other side if they wished to. For a moment no one said a word and then murmurs started to be heard as people started to talk.

Anne didn’t want to talk to any of the girls. She bowed her head, her red hair forming a curtain around her face. She had to disappear. She had to be unnoticeable. Yet, for the first time in her life, she was longing for someone. She wanted to go see the boy but maybe this was a bad idea. She didn’t even know him. She hadn’t even spoken a word to him. Someone cleared their throat and Anne looked up. The boy from the bus suddenly appeared from the other side of the curtain. He looked at her and pointed to the edge of her bed,

“May I?”

His voice was nice. She nodded and he sat on the edge of the tiny bed. She couldn’t help He seemed to hesitate for a moment before extending his hand,

“I’m William. Will for short.”

She didn’t know why but Anne didn’t hesitate to shake his hand,

“Nice to meet you Will. I’m Anne.”

He smiled and Anne felt her heart do a weird thing and she quickly retracted her hand in case her powers started to act up.

But Will didn’t seem to realise that. They started talking and Anne wondered why it felt so natural to talk to him. He was nice, caring and she never wanted to be without him again. For the first time in her life Anne had a friend. Way to fast, the guard called for the lights out. Will went back to his bunk bed and Anne looked the curtain waver slightly as he probably laid down. She did the same and the lights went out.

That’s when it hit Anne, she was in a camp where children were forced to work without getting anything in return. She was going to spend the rest of her life here. She was a freak. People already treated her as a monster when she was wearing her green uniform so what would it have been like if she had been in an orange one? She heard a few kids crying that night. It was only a few hours away from the wakeup call when she finally fell asleep.

******************

Everyone loved Will. He was goofy and made friends pretty easily. And after almost three years in the camp, most of the guards had a soft spot for him. Anne didn’t have any friends except for Will. He was the only one she trusted enough to get herself close to him.

Anne and Will had become best friends pretty fast. A bond so strong they knew it could never be broken. But in almost three years, they had grown and their feelings had too. They were seated on her bed, as they did every night before Lights Out and he took a small, ugly looking cake out of his pockets,

“For you, my lady. I managed to convince one of the guards to give me one.”

Anne laughed,

“And what gives me the honour to receive this magnificent cake?”

“Well it’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

The atmosphere change from playful to melancholic. It was her birthday. And that also meant another year had gone by at the camp. Will took her hand, looking around to check that the guard wasn’t looking before doing so,

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get any candle but, you could always pretend there is some. So, close your eyes and… make wish.”

Anne did as he told. She closed her eyes, made a whish and blew the imaginary candle out. They smiled at each other for a moment before dividing the cake into two part that would only be the equivalent of one bite for each.

“This is the worst cake I’ve ever had.” Chuckled Will, with his mouth full.

“And yet that’s the best thing I’ve eaten in almost two years.”

Will swallowed,

“True. Happy sixteenth birthday Anne. I love you.”

Anne squeezed his hand,

“Thank you so much Will. I love you too.”

Will seemed nervous all of the sudden.

“No Anne. I _love_ you. Not like a friend. I am in love with you. I love you.”

Anne was stunned. How could someone like Will love someone like her. She was a monster. But he didn’t know that. And if everything went according to plan, he would never know.  
She nervously glanced to see if the guard was anywhere in sight. He wasn’t so she leaned forward, cupped Will’s face and pressed her lips against his. It only lasted a few seconds but the feel of his soft and warm lips against hers was the best thing she has ever experienced.

She pulled back only to see Will looking at her with a shocked expression and a stupid grin and she couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“I am in love with you too Will.”

And it was true. She loved him. She was pretty sure she actually starting loving him since the moment he had sat next to her on the bus. The rare moment of joy was broken by the guard shouting,

“Light Out in 5! Everyone back to your bed.”

Will squeezed her hand before getting up and disappearing behind the curtain. Anne felt giddy and truly happy for the first time since… forever. But what happened in the middle of the night was a harsh reminder that she and Will would never be able to be happy.

Anne never used her powers again after the test. She had learned to control the pressure at the back of her head. Learn to forget it to the point when it finally disappeared. And yet there was times, like tonight that she felt like a coward for not using them. She would have been able to maybe save some of the kids. She knew what some of the guards did to the girls. She had seen guard grinding against the girls while they were working in the warehouse. She had heard others talking about what happened sometime in the cabins in the middle of the night. She had seen girls get pregnant from the rape and then beaten until they miscarried.

She heard the whimper of the girl in the bed next to hers as the guard assigned to their cabin for the night unbuckled his belt and all but ripped the bottom of the girl’s uniform. She heard the sobs of pain and the lewd groans and she wanted to throw up. No one moved. No one did anything. Anne felt the pressure building up at the back of her head. It would be so easy. To order him to stop and to never do that ever again. To tell him to leave all of the kids alone. Or even to make him take his gun... Anne shook her head, turning in her bed to face the curtain. She looked down and saw Will’s fingers slowly creeping underneath the fabric. She quickly let her hand fall to the floor and brushed his fingers with hers. It was a habit they had developed. She tapped his fingers twice to tell him that she was alright. She let her hand rest against his as the pressure at the back of her mind disappeared. Finally, the horrible thing taking place next to her stopped too and with the help of Will’s warmth she fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3 : Overprotected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will does something reckless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is a little bit shorter than the others. It's more of a transition chapter. I hope you will like it!

** Chapter 3 : Overprotected **

With Will by her side, life at camp seemed a little bit easier for Anne. Sure, they were only allowed to talk to each other only one hour per day and not allowed to have any physical contacts but she didn’t mind. They managed to steal little moments together from time to time. They had listed the guards rotating to guard their cabin at night. They knew with which ones it wasn’t even safe to talk during their allowed hour, the ones who were distracted enough so that they didn’t see them and the ones who didn’t care. They stole few kisses, holding hands under the covers and of course Will would always slip his hand under the curtain once the lights were out. She would let her hand fall on the floor beside his and brushed their fingers together. It was subtle enough that none of the guards had picked on that little habit. If they did, Anne and Will knew they could make it pass as an involuntary movement while sleeping.

Life at camp continued its bleak and infinite rhythm for months. Anne was turning 17 in two weeks when they started using the White Noise. There had been rumour of the Psi Forces using a “sound that only freaks could hear” to control the kids. But of course, rumours were always circulating in the camp and Anne was persuaded this one once again a fake one. But it was true.

They were in the warehouse when it happened. They were polishing the new boots of the guard’s uniforms, Will would look up at Anne, who worked on the station right across from him, and wiggled his eyebrows to make her smile. Of course, he only did it when it was safe to do so. Freaks weren’t allowed to smile.

Anne put the boots that she had finished polishing in her basket, took the other one and then, the sirens gave two signals of warning before the White noise started. It was the worst pain Anne had ever felt. She couldn’t _hear_ the sound but it was piercing her head. A frequency so high that her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. Holding her head between her hands, Anne found the force to open her eyes. She was the only one on the floor. Some of the kids were on their knees but most of them were still standing. She saw Will hunched over and pulling his hair. She didn’t know how long the test lasted because only twenty seconds after it had started, she blacked out.

**************

Anne woke up in the Infirmary four hours later. Her head was still pounding and her ears ringing. Which is why she didn’t hear the nurse the first time.

“Do you hear me girl?” snapped the stern looking woman.

Anne nodded slowly. The Nurse didn’t even look relieved that Anne could hear her, she just took her notepad and starting writing on it. No one cared about the freaks. She knew that many kids had died in the camps, including three from hers and Will’s cabin. They had died of cold or starvation or just untreated diseases. No one cared. Not even the doctor who had dedicated their lives to save their patients. They were patients who didn’t deserved to be saved.

“What happened?”

Anne regretted her question the moment the nurse looked at her with a death glare.

“No talking without permission!” she sighed, “There was a test with the new Calm Control device. It will make the life of the guards easier. They will just need to trigger it if there are any issues with you, freaks. Since it was a general test in happened in all of the camp at once. Now it will only happen in the designated sections. You just had a bad reaction to it.”

The nurse left without another look for Anne. She stayed another two hours in the infirmary before finally, a guard undid the handcuffed tying her to the medical bed and escorted her back to her cabin. She had missed almost a full day of work and the guard told her she should be grateful that her only punishment was that she wasn’t allowed to go eat dinner. When they arrived at the cabin, Anne went straight to her bed, sitting on it while waiting for Will to come back.

Thirty minutes later, Will was the first to enter the cabin. He immediately sat on the far end of her bed. They were unlucky in term of who was guarding them tonight and Anne wanted to cry because she just wanted to be able to touch him.

“Are you alright, Anne? When they dragged you out, you looked… So pale. For a moment I thought…”

She wanted to reach for his hand but the guard was watching them.

“I’m fine Will. I just had a bad reaction to the test.”

“Oh my god that thing was insane!” exclaimed Will. “It was so painful. I wanted to take my brain out of my head.”

Anne chuckled at how dramatic he was. He was always dramatic and so lively when he told her stories. She couldn’t help but think he would have been a great writer if the world hadn’t gone to shit. After a small moment of silence, she added,

“Your beard is starting to grow.”

Will rubbed the dark stubble on his chin,

“Yeah they’re going to give us some razors to shave next week. Under the surveillance of our friendly guardians, the Psi forces of course!”

He could always make her laugh. They kept talking until it was time for lights out. As their fingers brushed on the floor Anne had no idea that her file and the one from ten others had made their way to the camp director’s desk. Tiddington, wasn’t the worst camp in term of behaviours issues. They didn’t need the White Noise to keep the kids calm. They needed the White Noise to find the intruders, the one that weren’t Green but were far more dangerous. They were looking for Oranges.

*****************

Bad things seemed to happened to Anne only in the Warehouse. She was lacing up boots when she felt the presence right behind her. She stilled as the person behind her got closer until she was trapped between them and her working station.

“you’re doing it wrong girl.”

It was a guard.

“Here let me show you.”

He pressed himself against her and Anne started to shake. She had been one of the lucky girls, invisible and average looking enough that none of the guards had taken an interest in her. It seemed as if this was ending today. She could feel the growing bulge against her butt as the guard took his time lacing the boot on front of her. His face was way too close to hers, she could feel his breath on her cheek. He took a loose strand of her hair with his gloved fingers,

“I’ve always loved redheads. You will join me for Lunch.”

He wasn’t asking. It was an order and Anne knew that if she disobeyed it thing would probably get worse. But they actually managed to get worse before lunch time.

As the guard put the boot back down, another voice rose,

“ _You_ did it wrong.”

Anne felt the dread flooding her body. What was Will thinking? She looked at his face only to see the anger and disgust in his eyes as he glared at the man still behind her.

“What?”

The question was harsh and the guard finally eased away from Anne. It wasn’t meant to receive an answer but to her horror, Will kept talking,

“You laced the boots wrong. They are supposed to be laced diagonally. Not horizontally.”

The guard crossed the station, standing in front of Will. He was almost as tall as Will but the teenager didn’t back down.

“Oh, we have a funny one! Do you think you’re more intelligent than me, Green?”

Anne was frozen. She knew that Will wouldn’t back off. And she knew what was coming if he didn’t. Will smirked,

“Well yes. I am more intelligent than you. Like every Green in this camp. But I think you are probably the most unintelligent man I’ve ever met. You’re a pig.”

It happened in a fraction of second. The guard’s face contorted in rage and he threw his fist at Will’s face, knocking him to the ground. Anne watched in horror as two other guards came running seizing Will by the arms and started to drag him away.

“Let’s show this freak what respect means!”

Anne couldn’t breathe. She felt the pressure starting to build at the back of her head. _Do something. Do something_! But she couldn’t. She couldn’t do anything as the guards dragged the boy she loved away. They disappeared through to main door and now all Anne could do was wait. Wait to see if Will would come back, or if it was the last time, she had seen him.

*****************

Anne didn’t see Will for the rest of the day. She couldn’t eat. She could barely breathe. What if they had him executed? It wouldn’t be a first in the camp. Kids had received a bullet in the head for less than that. As she made her way to her bed, she felt the tears starting to pool in her eyes. That was the first time in almost four years that she would sleep without him on the other side of the curtain. There was still one hour until Lights Out and she knew that they usually only let the kids out of “detention” only at 8.

But 8pm arrived and not Will. When the guard turned off the lights, Anne felt empty. The only person that helped her getting through this hell wasn’t here anymore. She didn’t know if she would see him ever again. Was he dead? Did they just decided to change him of cabin? Or maybe they estimated he deserved a week long punishment for his action.

Anne didn’t sleep that night. The next day she did everything so mechanically that it scared her. If Will wasn’t going to come back she had nothing left to fight for. She might as well reveal her true self and be send to her death. Without Will nothing mattered. The day was probably the longest she had ever experienced in the camp. So, when she entered the cabin once work was over, she hadn’t expected to see Will seated on his bed.


	4. Chapter 4 : Loving a Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is back but Anne still needs to confess her secret. But the trap is closing in and getting out of the camp seems to be the only wat to avoid a much crueler fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another chapter. Some fluff. Then more angst. Then more fluff. Probably the fluffiest of all the chapters I've written so far!

** Chapter 4 : Loving a monster **

He wasn’t looking good. But it was him. Will was alive. He turned to look at her when she got closer to his bed. One of his eyes was swollen shut by a bruise. The dark purple hue extending to his temple. Hi lower lip was cut but he still smiled at her,

“Hey Anne.”

She wanted to threw herself into his arms and never let him go. But the guard was watching. They decided to go to her bed. The guard was often posted near the entrance of the cabin and the curtain managed to hide them a bit.

“Sit down” ordered Anne.

She quickly went to the bathroom and filled a bucket with warm water and grabbed a few extra rags they had. She sat in front of him,

“You don’t have to…”

But she interrupted him by pressing the damp rag on his lips, gently wiping the dried blood away. She moved to under his nose, to the cuts on his arms. She noticed he had trouble breathing. He noticed her staring at his chest, gently took her wrists in his hands making her put the bloodied rags down.

“Yeah, I think I might have a few broken ribs.”

Anne glared at him,

“You’re an idiot! Do you realise that they could have… They could have…”

He made sure the guard couldn’t see them as he moved his hands from her wrists to her hands, squeezing them gently.

“I couldn’t let that man do that to you. I want to protect you Anne.”

That was the first time someone had put their life in danger for her. That was the first time that someone thought she was worth being protected. But he was trying to protect a monster. And he didn’t even know. Anne felt the tears roll down her cheeks,

“Oh Will. You don’t know who you’re trying to protect.”

He raised a hand to wipe away her tears with his thumb,

“Of course, I do. I am trying to protect the love of my life.”

She saw the sincerity in his eyes and something snapped inside her. _He needs to know. He has the right to know._ She looked around carefully, happy to see that no one else would be able to hear them. How could she tell him? How could she tell him that she was a freak? The worst kind of freak. He would hate her. He would scream “Orange!” at the top of his lungs, to warn the others. With a little bit of chance, she wouldn’t even make it out alive of this camp. But he had a right to know.

“Will… I’m… I’m…” she could do it.

“You’re what, love?”

_Love_. That was the first time he had called her that. He really did love her. But she knew that, even if it didn’t seem like someone was listening to them, someone could still catch their conversation. She thought about how to phrase it for a few seconds. Then she got an idea,

“You know this guard said he liked redheads. I always thought it was weird that they call this red when really, it’s more _orange_.”

She watched the confusion on his face and then, his eyes widened. Anne closed her eyes. He was going to scream for help. She knew it. She couldn’t blame him. Who would want to love a monster like her? But she didn’t hear anything except for the others continuing their conversations. Then, she felt two strong arms wrapping her in a tight embrace. It felt so warm, and so safe. She wanted to melt into Will’s chest and never leave his arms ever again. she heard his voice, strong and ever so gentle in her ear,

“I love you so much Anne. I don’t care what you are. To me you are perfect. I will get us out of here, I promise. And when we’re out, I’m going to marry you.”

She felt her heart exploded. He loved her. Even if she was an Orange. He loved her. The thought of being married to Will made her heart skip a few beats. She wanted to tell him that of course, she will marry him. But the intimate moment was broken by the guard,

“Hey! You two! No physical contacts between boys and girls! Break it up!”

She was relieved when Will quickly squeezed her before letting her go and standing up. Will sent her one last adoring smile before following the guard on the other side of the curtain. Five minutes later the lights went out and she let her hand drop near the curtain. Will brushed his fingers against hers and she felt asleep almost immediately. Someone loved her. And they were going to get out of this damn camp. No matter the cost.

**************

The second test happened a few days later. Their team had been put on gardening duties. Everyone hated gardening duties. It was starting to get cold outside and having to kneel in the dirt to tend to the fruits and vegetables was hurting her back. Anne sighed as she pulled out a weed to put it in the garbage bag.

She turned her head slightly to the left to see Will glaring at some poor tomatoes as he watered them. He looked so grumpy she couldn’t help to let out a little laugh. She regretted it immediately when a guard jabbed his feet into her lower back. She yelped when her hands hit some nettles.

“No laughing! Where do you think you are? Get to work!”

She didn’t need to be told twice. She immediately went back at pulling the weeds out, ignoring the rash already forming on her hands.

She was almost done on the patch she was working on when the White Noise started. It seemed almost worse than the first time. The searing pain paralyzed Anne from head to toe. She was still kneeling and a few seconds later she was face down in the dirt. Her vision began to blur and soon she lost consciousness.

**************

Unlike the first time, when Anne woke up, both her arms were handcuffed to the medical bed instead of one. Her head still hurt. She closed her eyes again.

“Wake up girl!”

The voice was sharp and when Anne opened eyes it wasn’t a nurse standing in front of her bed. It was a man she recognized as the second in commands of the camp. Two armed guards were guarding his sides and another one the door. Anne started to panic. What had happened while she was unconscious? Was it because she had laughed?

“State your name girl.”

Anne couldn’t speak. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

“Now Girl!”

The order rung sharp in the small room.

“Anne Hathaway.”

She watched as one of the guards took out a tablet, typing something on it.

“Anne Hathaway, 17, born July 30th,2052 in Stratford-upon-Avon. Was brought to camp on January 15th 2065\. Identified as Green during the testing.”

He put the tablet away and Anne started shaking. What was happening? What was going on? She started to feel the familiar pressure at the back of her head.

“Tell me, girl. What do you remember from the day you were tested?”

No. It wasn’t a simple innocent question. A feeling of dread flooded her body. They knew. She didn’t know how, but they knew.

“Answer the question girl.”

Anne swallowed,

“I… Uh… We were in this big warehouse with the other kids… A doctor examined me. He used the scan.”

The second in command nodded,

“What exactly happened when he used the scan?”

The pressure at the back of her head intensified and Anne gripped the rails of the medical bed. She remembered the far away look in the doctor eyes, she remembered that pressure finally snapping, she remembered getting into his head…

“I... The doctor asked me a few questions. My name, my birthdate…. The he put the scan on my head. It said “Green”.”

She saw the second in command narrowing his eyes.

“Did you see the results on the scan screen?”

Yes, she had. _Orange – DANGER_.

“Yes… it said “Green”.”

The few seconds of silence that followed seemed to last forever. Then, finally,

“Okay. You will go back to your cabin tonight.”

Anne let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. But just as he was about to exit, the man turned back to her,

“You are not a Green.”

No. No. No. It wasn’t happening. She needed to run. Or at least… At least say goodbye to Will. She was shaking even harder now and she was sure the men could notice it.

“We don’t know what you are. But we will find out. Soon.”

When the door closed behind them, Anne started crying. It had been a mistake. A huge mistake. When she had been brought up to testing, she had nothing to lose. She had been a prisoner all her life. She might as well should have let them take her with the other Oranges. She would be dead by now but in a sense she would have finally been free. But now, now she had something to lose. She had everything to lose. William had become her whole world. And she wasn’t ready to give that up.

***************

It was almost ten when she was escorted back to her cabin by five guards. She knew their weapons were ready to shoot her if needed. They made her walk fast. But with no shoes on and the cold setting deep in her bones, it was hard to follow their pace. Finally, they made it back to the cabin.

When she entered, Anne was surprised to see it was almost empty. Out of the ten bed dedicated to the boys only three were occupied. Including Will’s. When she stepped past the curtain, she froze. All the beds were empty. She was the only girl left in the cabin. What had happened? Did they executed everyone while she was unconscious?

Anne automatically slipped in her bed. She wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. She wanted to talk to Will but he was probably sleeping. After almost an hour spend starting at the bed on top of hers, she heard the rustling of the curtain as a figure got close to her bed.

“Anne?”

She felt her heart leap.

“Will?”

It was Will. She watched as he settled next to her in the bed. She moved so that he could lie down next to her.

“What are you doing? What if you get caught?” whispered Anne.

She could vaguely see as Will shook his head, tucking a strand of lose hair behind her ear gently.

“The guard went out and there are no one else on this side of the cabin.”

Anne relished in the feeling of his body close to hers. He was warm, and solid and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go.

“What happened, Will? Why is everyone gone?”

Will wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer so he could whisper in her ear,

“They moved them. Apparently, some of the kids tried to escape after the test. I… I heard gunshots. I think they had them executed. So, they moved the people from the outer circle of cabins to the free spots in cabins closer to the warehouse. But I volunteered to stay here. I couldn’t leave not knowing what had happened to you.”

He ran a hand in her hair.

“Oh Anne, I thought they had killed you… I don’t know what is happening.”

“They know, Will.”

She felt him stiffened next to her.

“They know I’m not a Green. I think they haven’t fully figured it out yet but it’s a question of weeks, maybe days now.”

Will tightened his embrace,

“We’re going to get out of here soon, Anne. I made friend with a guard. He is young and I can see he is conflicted about what is happening in the camps. I talked to him a few times and I think he would be ready to help us.”

Anne felt a surge of hope in her chest. Maybe they had a chance. It was an infinitely small chance. But it was enough for her to latch upon it. She hadn’t allowed herself to hope for a very long time. But she wanted to hope now. Hope that maybe, Will and her would make it out of this damn camp.

She pressed a quick kiss against his lips.

“I love you Will.”

“I love you Anne.”

He returned the kiss and Anne deepened it. If there was a small chance, they were going to make it out of here, there was also a huge chance she was going to be executed in the following days. She wanted to make this moment with Will count. It was maybe their last moment like that. She sneaked her hands beneath his shirt. Will broke the kiss,

“Anne… Are you sure?”

She helped him take off his shirt, her hands running against his now bare chest. She was scared. But she wanted to do it,

“Yes. I want to make love with you William.”

They had to be quiet because there were still two people on the other side of the curtain. They had to be quick because the guard could come back at any moment. It was their first time, clumsy, weird but beautiful. Once they were done, Will pressed a final kiss on her forehead before getting back to his bed.

They didn’t know what awaited them in the morning. But they had each other and in that moment that was all that mattered.


	5. Chapter 5 : Pink Lines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne and Will must face an unexpected consequences of their actions. Yet, a guard is on their side the escape from this hell seems imminent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter!  
> TW : !!violence!!  
> We're slowly ,earing the end of this part of the story! Chapter 6 is the last chapter of the main story and chapter seven is going to be an epilogue.  
> I will try to post as soon as possible!

** Chapter 5: Pink lines. **

****

Anne was actually surprised that she hadn’t been dragged out of bed the morning following the second test to be executed. The only eventful thing that happened is the new kids filling the empty spots in their cabin. Anne and Will went back to subtler, more discreet way of showing affection. Anne never regretted making love with Will that night. But she knew that they had taken a risk.

She had seen what the guards did to the girls who got pregnant. Of course, 99% of the time, it was the guards themselves who had managed to get them in this situation. She knew that many girls weren’t lucky to have a Will to protect them from the disgusting men in charge of them. She remembered how they made them watch the first time it happened. Anne was only 14 at the time. The girl must have been only a few years older than her. They had gathered the whole section of the camp to watch. The guards threw the sobbing girl on the ground and began to hit, kick and punch her in the stomach. Anne had silently cried as the girl begged them to spot. But they only answered her prayers once the blood had started to flow from between her legs.

Many of the kids hadn’t understand what had happened but Anne and Will were old enough to understand that this would be the favoured method for abortion at the camp. They were ordered back to their cabins and the guards let the poor girl, sobbing on the ground. The next morning when they got to work to the warehouse, the girl was still in the same spot, lying in the dirt. The guards had hit the kids who tried to help her. Anne was maybe only fourteen but she could see that the girl wasn’t breathing anymore and that there was nothing they could do to help her.

So, when Anne realised that she hadn’t had her periods since the night with Will almost three months ago, she started to panic. Sure, life at camp made it really hard, between the stress and malnutrition, to have regular cycles, but Anne had never been this late. But could she really be pregnant? They only did it once. Could you get pregnant with doing it only one time? All the questions she kept asking herself were a reminder that she hadn’t received a proper education since she arrived at the camp.

She had confessed her fear to Will one night. He was terrified too of course. But he was Will, and Anne couldn’t wish for a more dedicated and loving boyfriend. He told her he’s find a way to make sure of it, and that if Anne was indeed pregnant then he would protect her and the baby the best he could.

A few weeks after, Will came running to join her on her bed like they did every night before lights out.

“Okay so I’ve talked to the guard I told you about. His name is Kit. He gave me those.”

Anne took the two sticks he handed to her with shaking hands. Pregnancy tests. He had managed to get her pregnancy tests.

“Of course, I like Kit and somewhat trust him but I didn’t tell him the real purpose of those. I told him I wanted to prank a girl from the cabin.”

Anne couldn’t say anything. She was shaking so hard she feared the other occupants on the cabin might noticed it. She quickly hid the test underneath the top of her uniform.

“Do you… Do I… Do I take them now?” she stammered.

Will shrugged,

“I don’t know. To be honest I have no idea on how those works. Except that you have to pee on the end of it.”

Anne made a face,

“Really? That’s how pregnancy tests work? Ew.”

At least it made Will chuckled. She always loved when he laughed.

“I know.”

The stayed silent for a few minutes. Will gently took Anne’s hands in his.

“Anne, whatever those tests will say… I love you. And nothing will ever make me stop loving you.”

Anne feel the tears at the corner of her eyes, she quickly kissed the back of his hands when the guard wasn’t looking,

“And I love you, Will. So much.”

She paused slightly,

“I don’t think I can wait. I’m going to take them now.”

Will paled slightly, but nodded as she stood up and went to the bathroom. She gave him one last smile before closing the door. Anne wanted to cry. Will didn’t deserve to have a burden like her in his life. She had to hide that she was a monster, an Orange and now… now she might have to hide the result of their one night together. She took a deep breath before finally opening the plastic wrapping around the test. There were tiny writings on the back of the stick.

“One line: not pregnant, two lines: pregnant, no line: invalid test.” Read Anne out loud, “Okay. Not too complicated.”

She quickly opened the other test and did her business before placing them both on the flimsy wood panel they used to put the toilet paper on. She didn’t know how long she needed to wait. She knew it probably was at least five minutes but they weren’t allowed to wear watches so she had no idea on how to know when the test would be ready.

“Lights Out in 15 minutes.”

Perfect. Now she just had to wait for the guard to announce “Lights Out in 10.” before looking at the test. It felt like hours had gone by before finally,

“Lights Out in 10!”

Anne shakily got up. She didn’t even need to take a closer look at the tests. She could see it from here, the two pink lines glaring at her on each stick. It was positive. She was pregnant. Anne wanted to throw up. What had they done? This place wasn’t safe for anyone so what about a pregnant Orange in hiding. What about Will? Would they kill him too once they figure out that none of the guards had ever touched Anne? Will. She had been in the bathroom for almost 15 minutes. He was probably worried sick. She needed to tell him.

She took the two tests and hid them deep inside the trashcan so no one would see them. Will was still seating on her bed when she finally got out. He immediately raised his head to look at her. She didn’t need to tell him. He could tell by the look on her face what the results were. Anne slowly sat in front of him. But as she finally gathered the courage to look at him, she hadn’t expected the huge, stupid grin forming on his face.

Tentatively, Will pressed his large hand against her lower stomach. The warmth of the gesture and the pure look of love and adoration directed at her belly made the tears appear in Anne eyes for the countless time today. She didn’t deserve a man like Will. He seemed so happy, the happiest she had ever seen, in that moment. With his hand above the slowly developing life inside of her, Anne promised herself that she would do anything for him and for the tiny human they had created.

*******************

Will was terrified. He had been since the moment he had been brought to the camp. But knowing that Anne was pregnant was the most terrifying thing ever. He didn’t regret the night they had spent together. Not in the slightest. But he knew that they had been reckless. It was already tough for Anne not to be discovered but now that she was pregnant…

Will shook his head. He didn’t want to think about the consequences this could have. He was going to get them out. Or at least get Anne out of here. He didn’t have a choice. Will was happy that he was going to be a father. He had spent his life before the camp taking care of his younger siblings. He always knew he wanted to be a father one day. Sure, being in a camp and 17 wasn’t the context he had in mind, but at this point he wasn’t sure anyone would care. He loved Anne. With all his heart. He would do anything for her. He wouldn’t let her and their unborn child die because of those stupid guards.

It was a thing guards were good at, being cruel and stupid. They often forgot that they were surrounded by Greens. Kids who had enhanced intelligence, kids who were geniuses. Will had quickly learn how to use his abilities and no one had ever realised it. It was easy. He knew the whole camps’ layout by memory since their second week in the camp. He knew the name and the personality of all the guards. He knew who he could trust, he knew who he should fear. Sometimes there was that buzzing at the back of his head and he just let it take over, then it was like everything made sense, he could read an entire book and remember it words for words. But of course, they weren’t allowed to read in the camp. But he had acquired a pretty good knowledge in some fields, which is why he was currently helping Kit with the repairs on the weapons.

“I can’t believe you know how to do this, Will! That’s pretty cool.”

Christopher “Kit” Marlowe, was one of the youngest guards in the camp. He was only a few years older than Will and Anne. Will had quickly seen the way Kit treated the kids. He was nice to them, well, as nice as he could be and Will instantly knew that he was their ticket to get out of this place.

“It’s actually pretty easy when you have enhanced intelligence.”

“You shouldn’t talk about your powers or I might have to shoot you.”

He had said that with a smile but Will was pretty sure, he was half serious about shooting him. It was something he had to keep in mind. Kit was maybe nice, and didn’t treat them as bad as the others but he was still a guard. He was allowed to shoot them without any question being asked. Will shrugged,

“Well I finished the repairs on your rifle. It should work as if it was new.”

Kit patted him on the back before putting the weapon away. Will waited for him to return before actually bringing up the subject he wanted to really talk about. As kit approached him, Will took a deep breath,

“Have you seen the birds in the nest near the entrance of the camp?”

Kit’s eyes immediately narrowed. It was the code they used when talking about their escape plan.

“No. What about them?”

Will couldn’t help but look around. They were alone but he knew that walls have ears.

“the eggs have hatched and I think…” Will gulped. This was it. The signal Kit had been waiting for, “I think the babies are finally ready to leave the nest.”

Kit eyes widened slightly,

“Well, Okay then. I think they will still need a few days to be fully ready but I’ll definitely tell you when they will leave.”

Will couldn’t help the smile from forming on his face. They had Kit on their side. They had a chance to finally say “Fuck you Tiddington” and leave for ever. Maybe he had a future with Anne. They would be able to build a family safely and away from this place. Kit put this hand on his shoulder,

“Let’s get you back to your cabin before Lights Out.”

Will nodded and the moment they were out, the mask fell into place once again. Just a guard accompanying a prisoner back to his cell.

******************

Anne was already on her bed when Will arrived. She looked relieved when she spotted him.

“Where were you? I was worried when you didn’t show up to diner.”

He casted a side glance to the guard only to see that the man was half asleep. He tucked a strand of her beautiful red hair behind her ear.

“I was with Kit.”

Anne immediately perked up at the name and Will couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was.

“He agrees with me. The birds are ready to leave the nest. He will tell us when exactly so we can go with him.”

He saw the realization hit Anne. He saw the hope in her eyes as one of her hand came to rest on her belly.

“Really?”

Will smiled and covered her hand with his.

“Really Anne. Soon, we’re going to be free. I promise.”


	6. Chapter 6 : Run, Boy, Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day is finally here, hoping for a better future, Anne and Will try to escape from the camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with a little bit of delay here's the last main chapter of the story! It's a bit longer than the others! I hope you liked this story and I will try to post an Epilogue as soon as possible.

** Chapter 6: Run, boy, Run **

Anne was shaking. It was the day. Three weeks after Will’s last encounter with Kit, they finally had received words that the escape was going to happen today, while they would be going to the mess hall for diner. She had no idea how Kit would manage to get them out but, as Will had said, they really didn’t have a choice. Anne was almost 4 months pregnant now and it was starting to show. Thank god, the uniforms were quite large. But she had seen a few guards looking at her belly for the past days and she was starting to fear that they wouldn’t made it out in time. Well, at least she wouldn’t made it in time. She still hoped that even if she got caught, may it be because she was an Orange or pregnant, that Will would still made it out of the hell hole.

For the entire day Will and Anne shared nervous glances and smiles. So many things could go wrong. But might as well die trying to get out of here than die here once the guards would decide to put a bullet in their head. Either way, they were going to be free tonight.

Finally, the bell rang into the warehouse, indicating the end of the work day. Will looked at Anne and gave her a tensed smile that she returned. This was it. They started to follow the others out as usual. They were halfway to the Mess Hall when a familiar voice stopped them.

“Hathaway! Shakespeare! Step out of line right now!”

The stopped and went to the side to let the other kids go by. Anne started shaking harder, sure Kit was supposed to be on their side but the ton he had used terrified her. He definitely knew how to play the part of the guard perfectly.

“You are under suspicion of having an illegal relationship together and of planning to escape camp.”

Anne’s stomach dropped. Was this part of the plan? Because it sounded like those accusation were way to real. Another guard approached them,

“I always had my suspicions about those two. It was a mistake to put boys and girls in the same cabins. I can’t believe they thought they could maybe make it out of here!”

He barked an ugly, terrifying laugh and Anne felt Will’s hand brushing against her. He was trembling too. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Do you need help to get those freaks to the director?”

Kit shook his head,

“No don’t worry I have it under control. Follow me you two!”

They started to follow Kit toward the main building. Was he really turning them him? Anne felt the pressure at the back of her head. Maybe she could make him change his mind? Sure, she only had used her powers by accident before but it wasn’t so hard. She just had to let the pressure snap, to get into his head and then… Will’s voice snapped her out of it. She was breathing heavily. She had almost done it if Will hadn’t started speaking, she maybe would have used her powers. She couldn’t do that. Will would see how much of a monster she truly was.

“Kit I don’t understand…”

Kit turned sharply to face them, looking around before opening a door on the side,

“Shut it Will! No one has to hear us.” The young guard hissed, “Get in there. Quick!”

They didn’t really have a choice as Kit pushed them inside the tiny room. The room was dark and it had no windows. A perfect room for an execution.

“Oh my god! You two idiots still think I’m going to execute you? It was part of the plan. I had to find a way to sneak you into this building.”

Will and Anne were stunned. Neither really understanding what was happening until Kit threw clothes at them. Anne shakily looked at the large t-shirt and jeans in her hands. It’s been so long since she had seen civil clothes. For four years the only thing they had seen were guard’s uniforms and of course the camp flimsy green uniforms they had to wear.

“Hurry up! Put these on! We only have a few minutes before the test!”

Will started to dress as Anne froze,

“The test?” she repeated in a trembling voice.

“Yes.” Kit opened the door slightly to check no one was near, “They’re going to start the test soon. It will be the perfect moment to get out of here. All the guards will be looking for Oranges. They’re going to be too focused on this to realize there’s been a security breach. The gunshots are going to cover any suspicious noises. I must admit I’m not a fan of those camps but just thinking about Oranges... They really creep me out. The world is definitely a better place without them.”

Will had frozen in the middle of putting the hoodie on. He looked at Anne who was so pale he thought she was going to pass out. He put an arm around her to support her in case she fainted. The test would start soon and for the first time, Will was truly afraid of what was going to happen. Anne was an Orange and Kit was about to find out. According to his speech, he wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in Anne’s head. He tightened his hold on her. No. He wasn’t going to let that happen. He had no idea how to prevent it but he would find a way. He was about to speak when the two-dial ton indicating the beginning of the test rang through the camp. But Will didn’t hear the familiar high-pitched frequency. He immediately turned to Anne when she let out a little cry, her hands flying on each side of her head. He had barely the time to react when she collapsed in his arms, unconscious.

“Anne! Anne wake up!”

He turned to Kit for help. But the guard was looking at Anne with wide eyes. Will tightened his arms around the tiny woman as Kit took out a scan, pointing it to her head.

“ _ORANGE – DANGER_ ”, immediately appeared on the screen.

“She’s…”

“Please Kit! You have to help us...”

“This wasn’t part of the plan Will!”

“This doesn’t have to change anything!”

“She’s an Orange! She can manipulate people! Make them do horrible things!”

Will shook his head desperately,

“Anne is not like that!”

Kit advance toward them, a hand on his gun,

“How do you know that, Will?! I’m sorry but I have to ask you to step back.”

Will only tightened his hold, curling himself around Anne. They heard the first gunshot in the distance and the communication through Kit’s walkie-talkie.

“ _I have one Orange. He’s been eliminated.”_

Will look up at Kit with pleading eyes,

“You can’t do that, please help us!”

“She’s-“

“She’s pregnant!”

The silence that followed was punctuated by another gunshot in the distance and another communication over the walkie talkie,

“ _Another Orange down.”_

Will gently lifted Anne’s top, resting his hand on the small bump that had appeared over the last few weeks.

“Please Kit. If not for her, then do it for our child.”

Kit hesitated before shaking his head,

“God dammit! Get her dressed! Quickly! We have only a few minutes left to escape.”

Another gunshot rang through the camp as Will shakily started to take Anne’s uniform off and slipped the new clothes on her. She looked so small in his arms. It had been a long time since he had the occasion to hold her like that.

“Hey Lover boy! We need to move! Now!”

Will gently slipped an arm underneath Anne’s knees, easily scooping her up in his arms. Kit advanced toward them and the teenager could help but tighten his hold on the woman in his arms. The guard didn’t say anything as he put Will and Anne’s hood up to cover their faces.

“Keep your head down, make sure they don’t recognize you.”

Will followed Kit as he stepped out of the room, marching toward an exit. The cold air immediately sipped into Will’s bones as they arrived on the parking lot. Kit opened the door to one of the nearest SUV.

“Go in the backseat and don’t say anything until we’re out.”

Will immediately climbed behind, gently deposing Anne in the seat next to him and buckling her seatbelt. She stirred a little and Will immediately stroked her cheek,

“Anne?”

“Shut up!” snapped Kit, “Make sure we can’t see your faces! And don’t talk.”

Will did as he was told, adjusting his hood and Anne’s. He put his face close to hers so that it would be even harder to see them. The car started and Anne opened her eyes. Will watched as she took her surrounding only to suddenly jerk forward, her hand in a defensive stance in front of her. Will immediately wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest. He only released his hold when he felt her relax. He gently cupped her face, making her look him in the eyes. After years not being allowed to talk, they had managed to understand every little look and glance they shared.

“You’re okay. We’re getting out.” He murmured.

“I said shut up! Dammit!” hissed Kit, “We’re near the main entrance. Get on the floor try to hide as much as possible”

The car came to a stop and Anne and Will immediately did as they were told, dropping behind the seats and curling as much as possible. Kit rolled down his window,

“Hello Sly! I’m heading home.”

“Already? The test just finished! You don’t want to celebrate with us?”

Kit chuckled,

“No but thank you! I’m just so tired and I just want to go home! I’ll celebrate tomorrow!”

The other guard hummed,

“Okay! Can you believe we found seven of them? It’s crazy to think those monsters were under our noses all along… Anyway! Have a great night!”

The window rolled up and the car started to move again. Will and Anne looked at each other when they heard the gate open. This was happening, they were getting out of here.

“We’re out now. But stay down until I tell you it’s safe.”

Anne and Will smiled widely with tears in their eyes. They were out. They were free. There were still many questions, where would they go? Where was Kit bringing them? Would they have to be on the run for the rest of their lives? But right now, none of that really mattered. They were out of the camp.

“Okay. You can seat back in the seats.”

Anne and will straightened up only to fall into each other’s arms. Will ran a hand in Anne’s hair.

“Hey no smooching in the back!” said Kit not without a trace of humour in his voice.

They immediately separated and attached their seatbelts. Will was still grinning at Anne when his eyes caught something through the window,

“Anne, look.”

Anne turned to the window. The view took her breath away for a moment. The sun was setting, illuminating the forest with shades of oranges and reds, the last sunbeams dancing on a small lake. It was beautiful. No more grey and dull scenery like in the camp. They were free. She felt Will slip his arm around her, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. She turned to look at him but he was hypnotized by the scenery outside, that stupid grin on his face. She loved him so much. The force of her feelings for him almost scared her. She knew she would never be able to live without him by her side. Her hand rubbed her belly, soon they would have a little human to take care of. Will finally looked down at her and the love she saw in his eyes almost made her want to cry. His larger hand covered hers on her stomach. They were finally free.

*****************

They didn’t drive for long before Kit stopped the car. Will and Anne shared a look.

“Are we already stopping?” asked Will.

Kit turned to look at them,

“Yes. They won’t think about looking so close to the camp. It won’t take them long to figure out that you two escaped.”

He got out of the car quickly and Anne and Will followed him. It was cold outside but it wasn’t the frightening bone chilling cold of the camp. The little town they had stopped in was nice, lots of trees and small houses. Anne couldn’t help but noticed that many of them seemed abandoned.

“Are you two coming or not?” called out Kit as he started walking toward one of the rare lightened houses.

Anne slipped her hand in Will’s larger one. It was weird to be able to touch without being afraid of the guard’s reactions. They really weren’t in the camp anymore. Will gently tugged on her hand so they could start following Kit.

Once they arrived on the doorstep, Anne started to get nervous. What if it was a trap? What if what awaited them in there was worse than the camp? She felt the usual pressure build up. She took a deep breath. She needed to get her powers under control. Now that they were finally out it wasn’t the time to use the ability that made her a monster.

“Angélique, Lance! It’s Kit. I’m bringing the package.”

Slowly the door opened. A man, probably in his late forties appeared. He didn’t look frightening but there was something about him that screamed “military” and Will tightened his hold on Anne’s hand.

“Quick. Come in.”

They were ushered in the house and Anne teared up at how warm it felt. It was nice, warm, it smelled good. It was a home. For four years they didn’t have a home. The had a bed in a flimsy wooden cabin. This seemed almost to good to be true and Anne suddenly was scared that she was going to wake up in her cold bed in camp.

“Lance, this is William and Anne, they were both in Tiddington for the past four years.”

The sadness she saw in the man, Lance’s, eyes hit her full force. Someone felt sorry for them, instead of being simply disgusted by them.

“Oh, you poor things. My wife should be home in a moment. She will check you out to tend to any wounds you might have.”

He motioned them to a couch and Anne and Will sat on it stiffly, never letting go of each other’s hand. Kit and Lance talked for a few minutes before the young guard made his way toward them.

“Okay. I’m leaving you in good hands. I need to go now.”

“Thank you so much Kit.” Whispered Will with the upmost sincerity.

“Don’t thank me. You’re not out of the woods. If you want and advice, lay low for a while.” He glanced at Lance, who was in the kitchen, “They don’t really care about Greens anymore. There’s too many of them and not enough places in the camps.” He turned to Anne, “But the Oranges… The government want them exterminated. They’re hunting them down, in the camps as much as outside the camps. Be careful. Some people are paid by the government to hunt down Oranges and bring them into the camps. Alive or dead.”

Will wrapped an arm around Anne’s shaking shoulders,

“We will be careful. Thank you again so much.”

Kit nodded and started to walk toward the door.

“Try to have a nice life you two.”

And with these words he headed out. Neither Will and Anne knew if they would ever see him again. They sat on the couch in silence for almost an hour before Lance came back into the living room. He handed them two steaming bowls of soups,

“Here you go! You definitely look like you need to it.”

Anne managed a small,

“Thank you.”

Lance sent her sympathetic look,

“I know it’s going to take time but, you are not in the camp anymore. You are allowed to talk whenever you want, you are allowed to ask questions, so don’t hesitate okay?”

The teenagers both nodded before sipping the soup. It was the best thing Anne had eaten in four years. It was warm and tasty and it warmed her almost instantly.

“Thank you again. We know you are taking a risk by taking us in. But we couldn’t be more grateful.”

It was obvious Will had repeated this sentence in his head before saying it out loud and it made Lance chuckled.

“No problem… uh… I actually forgot your names!”

“Oh uh. I’m William Shakespeare, but everyone calls me Will. And this is Anne. Anne Hathaway.”

Anne gave Lance a small smile when Will introduced her. She wished she could talk as easily as Will. It seemed so natural to see him talk like that. Like the rules of the camp was already forgotten. She knew by the stiffness of his body that they weren’t but she still couldn’t help but admire him in this moment.

“Well nice to meet you, Will and Anne. I am Lance Dubois, I am in the military but don’t worry, I don’t work for the camps. Angélique, my wife, is a nurse so she should be able to treat any injuries you two might have. I also have three sons, from a previous marriage, Jean, Benoît and François. But they are asleep right now, you’ll meet them tomorrow.”

As if summoned by his words,

“Lance! I’m home!”

A short, black woman with curly hair appeared in the room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted to two teenagers on the couch.

“Oh! You’re here!”

Anne didn’t expect to be enveloped in a warm, motherly hug but she accepted the gesture non the less. She chuckled as Will awkwardly patted the back of the woman, Angélique, once he was his turn to receive the hug. When she finally let him go, she smiled down at them,

“I am Angélique! I see Lance gave you some soup. Good! You two look like you need to eat way more than you used to.”

“The soup was delicious, by the way. Thank you.” Said Will, smiling at Lance.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

The older man stood up, bringing the two, empty bowls in the kitchen. Angélique took them both by their hands and dragged them upstairs, while Lance finished cleaning the dishes. She stopped in fromt of the first door on the right, opening the door.

“Okay so this is your room. You two definitely need to rest. Of course, if you need anything don’t hesitate. Mine and Lance’s room is the one at the end of the hall, on your left. I’m sorry you have to share a room but don’t worry it’s separated beds!”

It was almost too much kindness and consideration at once and Anne almost started to cry. Angélique seemed to notice because she stopped talking and send a worried look toward the redhead,

“Everything’s alright sweetheart?”

Anne nodded, wiping the tears with her sleeves,

“Yes. Everything’s perfect. I’m just a little bit overwhelmed. Thank you so much for all of what you’re doing for us.”

“It’s normal sweetheart. What they do in those camp is… terrible. I wish I could take all of the kids in.”

She entered the bedroom, immediately followed by Anne and Will.

“We’ve put some clean clothes on your beds if you want to change. The bathroom is the door right across the hall if you need it.”

Anne looked around the room. It was warm, cosy and the two beds in the middle of it seemed so inviting, she only realized now how tired she was.

“I had a question.”

Anne looked up at Will, not expecting him to have something to ask for. It was already so much.

“You’re... You’re a nurse, right?”

Angélique nodded softly,

“Yes ,I am dear. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No! No! I’m not… It’s just” he paused hesitating for a moment before finally blurting out, “Anne is pregnant. Almost four months and no one ever checked if everything was alright… with... with… the baby. It’s… Uh… it’s mine.”

The last word held so much pride it almost made Anne cry again. At least now she could blame it on the hormones.

“Oh! Of course!”

The older woman seemed a bit stunned by the news but looking closely at the teenage girl, she could now see clearly the small bump on her stomach. She immediately made a mental note to make Anne eat more than she did. She was clearly malnourished for someone four months pregnant. Well, for someone in general.

“I don’t have any of the appropriate tools with me here but I will bring some tomorrow. I will try to talk to one of my friends who is an obstetrician. Maybe we can arrange an ultrasound! But right now, I think what you two need is sleep.”

After using the bathroom and changing in the pyjamas Angélique had given them, Anne and Will bid the older couple goodnight before retiring in the bedroom for the night. It was when she laid down on the comfortable bed that it hit her. They were really out. Sure, danger was lurking not so far away and the world would never be totally safe for them but they were out. They were free. Even if she was exhausted, after a few minutes, maybe hours, laying on her bed she couldn’t sleep. She needed Will. She slowly slipped out of underneath the cover and made her way to the other bed. She didn’t even need to say anything because as soon as Will saw her, the moonlight allowing them to see almost perfectly, he pulled the cover inviting her to join him.

She quickly climbed into his bed. She pressed her back against his chest as she wrapped his arms around her, his hand resting on her bump. She immediately felt the exhaustion take over her. She felt Will press a kiss on the back of her head. She was pretty sure that she heard him mutter an “I love you.” But she was too tired to respond. As she fell asleep, for the first time in four years, Anne felt at peace. For the first time she didn’t have to fear what tomorrow would bring. Maybe Will and her weren’t safe, but they were free. And in this moment, nothing mattered more than the man curled around her, and the tiny being, kicking for the first time inside her stomach.


End file.
